The buckled concrete on parts of North Second Street, Charles Street, Alpine Road and other thoroughfares are tame enough for drivers to cross safely, but they do make for a bumpy ride.

Public Works crews may scramble to fill potholes, but they take a wait-and-watch approach to the uneven concrete roads.

Concrete road panels heave up to create uneven edges when water under the pavement freezes and expands. But the problem tends to correct itself in the spring thaw, said Dan Davis, operations manager for the Winnebago County Highway Department. In April, the agency will analyze whether the bumpy roads have settled back into place or need a more costly long-term fix.

Don't expect much action before then.

"I know some people go out and grind off the high edges, but then when it settles back down, now I create a divot," Davis said.

The buckled roads add an unavoidable obstacle for drivers who already skirt a labyrinth of potholes that grew because of the extreme weather swings and below-zero temperatures that have characterized this winter.

"I know it's bumpy, you just need to slow down a little bit until we get through this," Davis said.

Drivers may also feel the bumps from wrinkled asphalt roads, which is usually caused by concrete buckling under the asphalt surface, said Wayne Vlk, assistant county highway engineer.

Road crews also will wait for the spring thaw to determine what to do with heaved roadways.

"Once that frost leaves the ground and the ground settles, the concrete and the asphalt goes back down as smooth as it was before," Public Works Director Tim Hanson said.

Potholes are being filled whenever weather allows, and the list of craters to patch is long.

The city patched 113,000 holes in 2013, and Hanson estimates they're on pace for 150,000 this year.

"It's going to be a busy season. It's going to be tough out there for a while."